Robert Taylor Homes was a
public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is usually owned by a government authority, either central or local. Although the common goal of public housing is to provide affordable housing, the details, terminology, def ...
project
A project is any undertaking, carried out individually or collaboratively and possibly involving research or design, that is carefully planned to achieve a particular goal.
An alternative view sees a project managerially as a sequence of even ...
in the
Bronzeville neighborhood on the
South Side of
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
from 1962 to 2007. The largest housing project in the United States, it consisted of 28 virtually identical high-rises, set out in a linear plan for two miles (3 km), with the high-rises regularly configured in a horseshoe shape of three in each block. It was located along
State Street between
Pershing Road (39th Street) and 54th Street, east of the
Dan Ryan Expressway
The Dan Ryan Expressway is an expressway in Chicago that runs from the Circle Interchange with Interstate 290 (I-290) near Downtown Chicago through the South Side of the city. It is designated as both I-90 and I-94 south to 66th Street, a d ...
. The project was named for
Robert Rochon Taylor Robert Rochon Taylor (April 12, 1899 – March 1, 1957) was an American housing activist and banker. A founder of the Illinois Federal Savings and Loan, a mortgager for black residents of Chicago's South Side, Taylor was the first black member of t ...
(1899–1957), an
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
activist and the first African American chairman of the
Chicago Housing Authority
The Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) is a municipal corporation that oversees public housing within the city of Chicago. The agency's Board of Commissioners is appointed by the city's mayor, and has a budget independent from that of the city of C ...
(CHA). It was a part of the State Street Corridor which included other CHA housing projects:
Stateway Gardens
Stateway Gardens was a Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) public housing project located in the Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois.
It was located alongside the Dan Ryan Expressway, adjacently north of the former Robe ...
,
Dearborn Homes,
Harold Ickes Homes, and
Hilliard Homes
Hilliard Towers Apartments, formerly known as the Raymond Hilliard Homes CHA housing project, is a residential high-rise development in the near South Side of Chicago, Illinois. It was designed by Bertrand Goldberg and is bounded by Clark Street ...
.
History
Robert Taylor Homes were completed in 1962 and named for
Robert Rochon Taylor Robert Rochon Taylor (April 12, 1899 – March 1, 1957) was an American housing activist and banker. A founder of the Illinois Federal Savings and Loan, a mortgager for black residents of Chicago's South Side, Taylor was the first black member of t ...
(1899–1957), an African American activist and
Chicago Housing Authority
The Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) is a municipal corporation that oversees public housing within the city of Chicago. The agency's Board of Commissioners is appointed by the city's mayor, and has a budget independent from that of the city of C ...
(CHA) board member who in 1950 resigned when the city council refused to endorse potential building locations throughout the city of Chicago that would induce racially integrated housing.
At one time, it was the largest public housing development in the country, and it was intended to offer decent affordable housing. It was composed of 28 high-rise buildings with 16 stories each, with a total of 4,415 units, mostly arranged in U-shaped clusters of three, stretching for two miles (three kilometers).
Problems
The Robert Taylor Homes faced many of the same problems that doomed other high-rise housing projects in Chicago such as
Cabrini–Green. These problems included
drug dealing
The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs throug ...
,
drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...
,
gang violence
A gang is a group or society of associates, friends or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over territory in a community and engages, either individually or collectivel ...
, and the perpetuation of
poverty
Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse social, economic, and political causes and effects. When evaluating poverty in ...
. Planned for 11,000 inhabitants, the Robert Taylor Homes housed up to a peak of 27,000 people. Six of the poorest
US census areas with populations above 2,500 were found there. Including children who are not of working age, at one point 95 percent of the housing development's 27,000 residents were unemployed and listed
public assistance
Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specificall ...
as their only income source, and 40 percent of the households were single-parent, female-headed households earning less than $5,000 per year. About 96 percent were
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
. The
concrete
Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wi ...
high-rises, many with the scars of
arson
Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wat ...
fire, sat in a narrow stretch of
slum
A slum is a highly populated urban residential area consisting of densely packed housing units of weak build quality and often associated with poverty. The infrastructure in slums is often deteriorated or incomplete, and they are primarily inh ...
. Neglect was evident in littered streets, poorly enforced building codes and scant commercial or civic
amenities
In property and land use planning, amenity (lat. ''amoenitās'' “pleasantness, delightfulness”) is something considered to benefit a location, contribute to its enjoyment, and thereby increase its value.
Tangible amenities can include the ...
. Aside from neglect and ignoring crime, police officers also felt unsafe in darkened hallways and were frequently shot at from the high rises.
In the Robert Taylor Homes a survey was conducted and showed that the majority of residents either had a family member in prison or expected one to return from prison within two years. This caused issues when residents tried to relocate; many of these returning prisoners had partners, children and/or mental illnesses that prevented them from relocating to another residence.
Gang violence and drugs
The
Mickey Cobras
The Mickey Cobras are a large street gang affiliated with the nationwide gang alliance known as "People" and based in Chicago. The gang is considered very mobile, and its colors are green, black, and red. Factions of the gang are being establis ...
(MC's),
Gangster Disciples
The Gangster Disciples are an African American street and prison gang, which was formed in the South Side of Chicago in the late 1960s, by Larry Hoover, leader of the Supreme Gangsters, and David Barksdale, leader of the Black Disciples. The tw ...
(GDs),
and
Black Disciples
The Black Disciples (often abbreviated as BDN, BDN III, BD's) is a large street gang based in Chicago, Illinois, which received significant news coverage after the murder of one of their own members, an 11-year-old named Robert Sandifer.
Hi ...
(BDs)
gangs dominated the housing project. Police intelligence sources say that the elevated number of
homicides
Homicide occurs when a person kills another person. A homicide requires only a volitional act or omission that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from accidental, reckless, or negligent acts even if there is no inten ...
was the result of gang "
turf war
A turf war is a fight over territory or resources, or may refer to:
Music
* ''Turf Wars'', a 2007 album by the Canadian band Daggermouth
* "Turf War", a song on the 2001 album ''Filmtracks 2000'' by American composer Bill
Television
* ''Turf Wa ...
s", as gang members and drug dealers fought over control of given
Chicago neighborhoods
There are sometimes said to be more than 200 neighborhoods in Chicago, though residents differ on their names and boundaries. A city ordinance prescribing and mapping 178 neighborhoods is almost unknown and ignored even by munic ...
. The
CHA estimated that $45,000 in drug deals took place daily. Former residents of the Robert Taylor Homes have said that the drug dealers fought for control of the buildings. In one weekend, more than 300 separate shooting incidents were reported in the vicinity of the Robert Taylor Homes.
Twenty-eight people were killed during the same weekend, with 26 of the 28 incidents believed to be gang-related.
Crime
Numerous crimes occurred in the Robert Taylor Homes, reaching an all–time high in the mid–1970s. Most crimes committed at the housing project were drug and street gang violence related. In October 1976, 22–year-old Denise Dozier was thrown from a 15th floor apartment window; she survived the incident. On June 25, 1983, 18 month-old Vinyette Teague was abducted from the project after her grandmother left her alone in the hallway for a few minutes to answer a phone call. An estimated 50 people were in the hallway at the time of the abduction, but police were unable to gather enough evidence to make any arrests. She has never been seen or heard from since. On August 15, 1991, shortly before midnight,
CHA police officer Jimmie Haynes was fatally wounded by a sniper rifle at the project. He died two days later at
Mercy Hospital and Medical Center
Mercy Hospital and Medical Center now called Insight Hospital and Medical Center Chicago is a 414-bed general medical and surgical Catholic teaching hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Established in 1852, the hospital was the first chartered hospital ...
.
Three suspects were charged with his murder. A maintenance worker at the project was beaten to death by gang members after he allowed police officers access to a building where a gang meeting was taking place in February 1993.
Redevelopment
In 1993, it was decided to replace all Robert Taylor Homes with a
mixed-income community in low-rise buildings as part of a
federal
Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to:
Politics
General
*Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies
*Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...
block grant received for the purpose from the
HOPE VI HOPE VI is a program of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. It is intended to revitalize the worst public housing projects in the United States into mixed-income developments. Its philosophy is largely based on New Urban ...
federal program.
In 1996, HOPE VI federal funds were granted specifically for off-site Taylor replacement housing. The
Chicago Housing Authority
The Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) is a municipal corporation that oversees public housing within the city of Chicago. The agency's Board of Commissioners is appointed by the city's mayor, and has a budget independent from that of the city of C ...
moved out all residents by the end of 2005. On March 8, 2007, the last remaining building was demolished. As of 2007, a total of 2,300 low-rise residential homes and apartments, seven new and renovated community facilities, and a number of retail and commercial spaces are to be built in place of the old high-rise buildings. The development costs are expected to total an estimated $583 million. Part of the redevelopment is the renaming of the area to "
Legends South".
Notable residents
The Robert Taylor Homes were also home at one time to:
*
Mr. T
Mr. T (born Laurence Tureaud, May 21, 1952), is an American actor. He is known for his roles as B. A. Baracus in the 1980s television series ''The A-Team'' and as boxer Clubber Lang in the 1982 film ''Rocky III''. He is also known for his ...
(Lawrence Tureaud), actor and former wrestler.
*
Kirby Puckett
Kirby Puckett (March 14, 1960 – March 6, 2006) was an American professional baseball player. He played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career as a center fielder for the Minnesota Twins (1984–1995). Puckett is the Twins' all- ...
, baseball player.
*
Deval Patrick
Deval Laurdine Patrick (born July 31, 1956) is an American politician, civil rights lawyer, author, and businessman who served as the 71st governor of Massachusetts from 2007 to 2015. He was first elected in 2006, succeeding Mitt Romney, who ...
, 71st
Governor of Massachusetts
The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the chief executive officer of the government of Massachusetts. The governor is the head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonwealth's military forces.
Massachusetts ...
(2007-2015).
*
Corey Holcomb
Corey Lamont Holcomb (born June 23, 1969) is an American comedian, radio host and actor. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Holcomb got his start in comedy with the help of another Chicago-area comedian, Godfrey. He currently hosts his own i ...
, comedian and actor.
*
Open Mike Eagle
Michael W. Eagle II (born November 14, 1980), better known by his stage name Open Mike Eagle, is an American hip hop artist and comedian. Originally from Chicago, Illinois, he is now based in Los Angeles, California, where he is a member of the h ...
, Hip-hop artist.
*
Ronnie Lester
Ronnie Lester (born January 1, 1959) is an retired American basketball player and basketball executive. Lester was an NCAA All-American at the University of Iowa, leading Iowa to the 1980 NCAA Final Four. Lester was a member of the 1979 USA Bask ...
, University of Iowa All American, NBA Player for Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, NBA Scout for Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns.
*
Beauty Turner
Beauty B. Turner (October 23, 1957 – December 18, 2008) was an American housing activist and journalist from Chicago, Illinois. At the time of her death, Turner was compared to the civil rights leader Ida B. Wells.Rhodes, Steve (December 19, 2 ...
, writer and community activist.
*
Maurice Cheeks
Maurice Edward Cheeks (born September 8, 1956) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who serves as assistant coach for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has also served as head coach of t ...
, basketball player.
*Kenny Duckworth,
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his Progressive rap, progressive musical styles and Social consciousness, socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most infl ...
's father.
*
Michael Colyar
Michael K. Colyar (born February 9, 1957) is an American actor, comedian, entertainer, voiceover artist, television/radio personality, and author.
Early life and education
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Colyar was raised in the Robert Taylor Home ...
, comedian and actor.
[
]
*
Derrius Quarles
Derrius Quarles is a social entrepreneur, human rights activist, recording artist, product designer, and author. Born on the South Side of Chicago in 1990, he is the Co-Founder and former Chief Executive Officer of BREAUX Capital, an award-winnin ...
, Entrepreneur and author
Research
Because of the standardized housing and near homogeneous demographics, the RTH cluster was an ideal location for studying the effects of urban living and lack of "green space" on the human condition. This type of research in
environmental psychology
Environmental psychology is a branch of psychology that explores the relationship between humans and the external world. It examines the way in which the natural environment and our built environments shape us as individuals. Environmental Psychol ...
was most clearly demonstrated by a group of studies done by Frances Kuo and William Sullivan of th
Landscape and Human Health Laboratory(formerly the Human-Environment Research Laboratory) at the
University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Universit ...
. The history and economy of this housing development was studied by
Sudhir Alladi Venkatesh
Sudhir Alladi Venkatesh (born 1966) is an American sociologist and urban ethnographer. He is William B. Ransford Professor of Sociology & African-American Studies at Columbia University, a position he has held continuously since 1999. In his ...
in his book ''American Project'' (). In his 2008 book ''Gang Leader For A Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes To The Streets'' (), Venkatesh also profiled the area, its residents and the "Black Kings", a Chicago gang known for selling drugs. The "Black Kings" were renamed for the book to preserve anonymity, although it is likely referential to the
Gangster Disciples
The Gangster Disciples are an African American street and prison gang, which was formed in the South Side of Chicago in the late 1960s, by Larry Hoover, leader of the Supreme Gangsters, and David Barksdale, leader of the Black Disciples. The tw ...
. Although not about the Robert Taylor Homes, author
Alex Kotlowitz
Alex Kotlowitz (born March 31, 1955) is an American journalist, author, and filmmaker. His 1991 book ''There Are No Children Here'' was a national bestseller and received the Christopher Award and Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Jou ...
wrote about the Chicago Housing Authority, the demographics and the history of the Chicago Housing projects in his book ''
There Are No Children Here
''There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in the Other America'' is a 1992 biography by Alex Kotlowitz that describes the experiences of two brothers growing up in Chicago's Henry Horner Homes. It won the Carl Sandburg award ...
'' (). The book discusses the
Henry Horner Homes
Henry Horner Homes was a Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) public housing project located in the Near West Side community area on the West Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. The original section of Henry Horner Homes was bordered by Oakle ...
, but also looks at and discusses the issues within the entire area. The housing development was the subject of a
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
documentary called ''Crisis On Federal Street'' which aired nationally in August 1987.
References
External links
CHA's official Robert Taylor Homes site"Midst the Handguns' Red Glare - Chicago's Robert Taylor Homes, a public housing development" Summer, 1999.
*
ttps://web.archive.org/web/20041024145405/http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/cx/?id=100331 Robert Taylor Homes website at Emporisbr>
Encyclopedia of Chicago entry on Robert Taylor Homes"Dislocation" a film by
Sudhir Alladi Venkatesh
Sudhir Alladi Venkatesh (born 1966) is an American sociologist and urban ethnographer. He is William B. Ransford Professor of Sociology & African-American Studies at Columbia University, a position he has held continuously since 1999. In his ...
, Professor of Sociology and African-American Studies at Columbia University, which "chronicles the lives of tenants in one building as they move through the six-month relocation process" according to the website's description.
A history of the building's namesake Robert TaylorRobert Taylor Homes Bows Outphotos by ChicagoEye (Lee Bey).
{{Authority control
Public housing in Chicago
South Side, Chicago
Neighborhoods in Chicago
Residential skyscrapers in Chicago
Residential buildings completed in 1962
Buildings and structures demolished in 2007
Former buildings and structures in Chicago
Demolished buildings and structures in Chicago
Urban decay in the United States
1962 establishments in Illinois
2007 disestablishments in Illinois